This invention concerns prioritized interactive bi-directional communication of multiple data services in a broadcast system.
Home entertainment set-top box systems which combine Personal Computer and television functions (PC/TV functions) are increasingly becoming generic, User interactive, multiple source and multiple destination communication devices. Such systems are required to communicate in different data formats between multiple locations for a variety of applications in response to User requests. For example, a set-top box system may receive data from satellite or terrestrial sources comprising High Definition Television (HDTV) broadcasts, Multi-point Microwave Distribution System (MMDS) broadcasts and Digital Video Broadcasts (DVB). A set-top box system may also receive and transmit data via telephone (e.g. the Internet) and coaxial lines (e.g. cable TV) and from both remote and local sources such a s Digital Video Disk (DVD), CDROM, VHS and Digital VHS (DVHS(trademark)) type players, PCs, and many other types of sources.
It is desirable for a set-top box system to be able to support bi-directional communication and in-home control functions and to be able to access and decode information from multiple broadcast sources. It is also desirable for a set-top box system to be able to seamlessly combine the decoded information for presentation to a User. There are a number of problems in achieving such a system. Specifically, problems arise in efficiently acquiring information of different data formats from different sources and prioritizing the processing of the information. These problems are addressed by a system according to the present invention.
An Internet protocol compatible multimedia decoder advantageously includes a system for prioritizing received data for processing by a first processor and for prioritizing data for encoding for return communication by a second processor. The received data and the return data are allocated a desired hierarchical data output priority based on a function associated with the data to be prioritized or a protocol characteristic of the data to be prioritized.